Barbara, who was 6 months old when the family arrived in New York, is not listed and presumably died by this point in time. No record of her death or burial has been discovered.

Although Simon was born prior to August 28, he was born after the the official enumeration day of 1 June 1850, so he is not listed with the rest of the family.

The census indicates that Johan and his son Frank worked as laborers… there is no record of the family having purchases land in Alexander.

The Schultz family was Catholic. There was no organized catholic church in this area of New York during this period of time. Religious needs were met by priests who visited the area to perform required services. No record of such services for the Schultz family (specifically, records of Simon’s birth or baptism) have been located.

Why Alexander, New York? It was common for German emigrants to settle near friends and family members who had already emigrated to the United States. The 1850 United Census enumerated 135 people with some variation of the Schulz surname in Genesee and the surrounding counties. It is likely that some of them were relatives of Johan Schulz.

This table shows the number of people in each county who had some variation of the Shultz surname.

County

Count

Percent

Erie

79

51%

Niagra

23

15%

Livingston

11

7%

Monroe

11

7%

Genesee

6

3%

Wyoming

5

3%

In the same census year (1850) about 25 people with some variation of the Shultz name were living in and near Walworth County in Wisconsin.

There were also six people enumerated in Erie county, New York with the last name of “Metzger” who were born in Germany (none were found around Walworth County, Wisconsin), so it is possible that there were family connections with Johann wife, Anna Mitzger.

1868 – 31 March: Johan J Shultz took out a mortgage from Andrew Kull for the purchase of property. Recorded with the office of Register of Deeds at Elkorn, Wisconsin in Volume 32 of Mortgages, page 422.

Andrew Kull acquired the SouthWest Quarter of Section 4, in Township 1 South, of Range 18 East, in the District of lands subject to sale at Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory, containing 160 acres on 25 March, 1841. Presumably the mortgage was for the purchase of some of this land.

1883 – November 20: Anna M Schults sells the E 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 27, Township 2 North in Range 18 East (80 acres) to Simon Schultz (her son) for “love and affection and also in further consideration of One Thousand Dollars”

1885 – May 28: Resa & Agnes Resa sold the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 26 in Lyons (40 acres) to Simon Schultz for $1,600

1889 – 26 July: The mortgage with Andrew Kull is satisfied.

What Was His Name?

1846 – Ships Register: Johan Schulz

1850 – US Census: John J Schuls

1860 – US Census: John J Schulz

1889 – Mortgage: John Jos Shults

Putting these together (and giving the most weight to the mortgage document for the accepted spelling of his last name), it appears that he was know as Johan Joseph Shults which was later “Americanized” to John J Shults.

Church Records

Catholic church records were not being recorded in nearby churches at the time the family settled in Lyons. As a result, records are not available for several key events.

Research Questions

Are there any records in Germany to prove that they lived in/near Arnstein?

Who were the parents of Johan Joseph Shults?

Can a record documenting the marriage of Johan Joseph Shults and Anna Mary Mitzger (presumablu occurred in Germany prior to 1846) be found in Arnstein, Germany?

Who were the parents of Anna Mary Mitzger (her fathers name may have been Anton Mitzger)